Individual Activity in Election Season

Individual Activity in Election Season

From Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast by Bolder Advocacy

May 27, 2026 · 15 min · Episode 158

About this episode

This episode discusses how individuals associated with 501(c)(3) organizations can engage in electoral work while adhering to legal restrictions.

Employees and volunteers of public charities often participate in the political and democratic process in ways that connect to their organization's mission. While a 501(c)(3) cannot engage in partisan activity, individuals don't give up their First Amendment rights when they are staff, board members, or volunteers of a public charity . In our last episode, we talked about candidate appearances at charitable events. But what if the call is coming from inside the house ? In this episode, we'll share some practical tips and best practices to help you engage in electoral work as an individual while keeping your organization safely within the rules to protect its tax-exempt status. Attorneys for this episode Victor Rivera Quyen Tu Sarah Efthymiou Show notes Basic rule : 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from participating in partisan political activity. This rule also applies to anyone acting on an official capacity on behalf of the c3. This means that (c)(3) leaders, staff, and volunteers may not use the facilities, equipment, personnel, or other c3 resources to provide support to or oppose a candidate or campaign. However, t his prohibition does not apply to the activities of…

People in this episode

Host: Bolder Advocacy

Guests: Victor Rivera, Quyen Tu, Sarah Efthymiou

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: 501(c)(3)

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